4 winners & 4 losers from Cowboys season finale loss to Washington

The Dallas Cowboys fell to 7-10 with a loss to the Washington Commanders and these players stood out as winners and losers.

Randy Gurzi | Jan 5, 2025

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) catches the game-winning touchdown against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

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In what could be Mike McCarthy's final game with the Dallas Cowboys, his team lost to the Washington Commanders on a last-second touchdown. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota orchestrated a game-winning drive, ending with a touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin to secure the No. 6 seed and hand Dallas loss No. 10 on the year.

Dallas had to deal with a lot of injuries this season and they deserve credit for fighting to the very end. Even with that being the case, McCarthy made several questionable decisions in this one, including punting the ball to Washington late in the fourth rather than gambling on fourth down and going for the win.

MORE: Mike McCarthy's future with Dallas Cowboys roasted before season finale

Whether or not he returns won't be answered right away but we can look back over this game and highlight which players stood out as winners and losers.

Winner: Deuce Vaughn, Running Back

Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Dallas hardly played Deuce Vaughn this season and that decision looks awful after Sunday. Mike McCarthy said ahead of the game that Vaughn would get more touches, and he did. While they still didn't feature him much, the second-year back made an impression with 37 yards on just six touches. He should have been given the snaps they wasted on Ezekiel Elliott, but that's just how things go in Dallas when Jerry Jones is calling the shots.

Loser: Marist Liufau, LB

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau (35) / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

On the whole, Marist Liufau had a very good game. But he was guilty of a costly mistake late in the fourth quarter. With Washington facing a fourth-and-one, Kliff Kingsbury called a read-option run and Marcus Mariota held onto the ball.

Micah Parsons crashed on the running back, leaving Liufau to cover Mariota. The rookie took a poor angle and Mariota took off for a 33-yard run setting them up for the winning touchdown pass with two seconds left.

Winner Chauncey Golston, DE

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) celebrates with Dallas Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston (99) / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

With all the injuries on the defensive line, Dallas has had to lean on Chauncey Golston more this season than any other. The fourth-year pro has responded with the best campaign of his career.

Goltson had 4.0 sacks following just 3.5 in his first three seasons. He added 1.5 to that total against Washington, setting himself up for free agency this offseason.

Loser: Tyler Guyton, LT

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

With Chuma Edoga out in Week 18, the Cowboys went back to rookie Tyler Guyton as the starting left tackle. He didn't have a good outing, and it started on the opening drive.

Guyton was flagged for being an ineligible man downfield, negating a 13-yard reception for Jalen Brooks. He was hit with a false start later and before the end of the second quarter, Asim Richards had taken his place.

Winner: Brandon Aubrey, K

Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Brandon Aubrey had quite the day. He had one of the worst kickoffs we've seen, sending a line drive out of bounds — right into the head of a cheerleader. He also put his name in the record books when he drilled his fourth field goal of the game, becoming just the fifth player in NFL history to make 40 field goals in a season. Aubrey is the most consistent weapon in Dallas and proved it again in this one.

Loser: Marshawn Kneeland, DE

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Overall, Marshawn Kneeland wasn't bad on Sunday but he did let a huge play get away from him. With Dallas up by two points in the fourth quarter, Kneeland got a hold of Marcus Mariota on first-and-goal. He wasn't able to bring him down though as Mariota escaped and ran for a touchdown to give the Commanders a lead.

Mariota still has the wheels!

📺: #WASvsDAL on FOX
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— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

Winner: Micah Parsons, DE

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Micah Parsons has been on fire all season. Despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain, Parsons has double-digit sacks for the fourth season in a row. He joins some elite company and it's fair to say that he would be the NFL Defensive Player of the Year if he suited up for all 17 games.

Micah Parsons just became the 4th player ever to record 10+ sacks in each of his first 4 seasons 💪

📺: #WASvsDAL on FOX
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— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

Loser: DaRon Bland, CB

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

With several defensive backs injured, DaRon Bland has been asked to be the No. 1 guy. On Sunday, he struggled to live up to that with Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota picking on him all day. Bland was even beaten on the final pass, giving up the game-winning touchdown to Terry McLaurin.